n a stunning move, the Suns sent Steve Nash to the Lakers on Wednesday in a sign-and-trade that reverberated from coast-to-coast in the NBA -- not to mention north of the border.

Nash, 38, will team with Kobe Bryant in a move that gives the All-Star point guard the best chance of his career to win a title. The deal for future draft picks and cash came at the expense of the Toronto Raptors, who had relentlessly pursued Nash on the open market, and the New York Knicks, who were trying to lure him with their own sign-and-trade proposal.